Dreamer: The Eighth Key book 1

Echoes In the Everdark

An acrid smell caused Diraimeir to pause and gag as he covered his nose with his arm. “Uhg! What is that?”

Tathlyn snorted. “Don’t worry about it. And keep your voice down.” He murmured, running a hand through Ch’nuino’s mane as Diraimier tried to find where it was coming from. “Don’t need to spook her anymore then she already is.” Though he whispered, it still reverberated off the cavern’s ceiling.

“Look who’s talking,” Diraimeir said under his breath. At current, the three of them were inching their way precariously over the beginnings of a natural bridge, formed of the rock over a vast black pit. Water fell against the side of it angrily, and the foundation thinned in odd places as the falls chipped it away ever so slowly. The trek became slick over the smooth path, particularly in areas where the road whittled down to only a few feet wide. Spray from the falls pelted at them and soaked them from head to toe. Diraimeir was not happy about it.

The nymph noticed then that it was the water itself that smelled like liquid death. Not pleased with it in the slightest, as soon as they were upon the drier ground, he made to change his tunic. Diraimeir hardly had pulled the garment past his neck before Tathlyn had them moving again. “Just deal with it. You will need to get used to being dirty and wet. This will not be the first time or the last time you’re going to stink.” Here was not the place to stop. It made the Illitar visibly dismayed. Down under the earth as they were, it was dreadfully cold.

Diraimeir huffed softly, crossing his arms across his chest. Tathlyn must have traveled these halls dozens of times before, but… It’s like a maze. I wonder if we are close to the surface. I don’t like it down here. He isn’t even watching the road… We couldn’t be lost, could we?

              “Are you sure you know where we are going?

 “Of course I do. There are a lot of things you need to learn when you use these tunnels. Reading the markings left behind by those that came before us is one of them.” Tathlyn assured the Illitar. He knew the main ways like he did the back of his own hand. Diraimeir hoped that was true since many different, seemingly unmarked paths shot off from the one they currently traveled. Tathlyn even said that he could tell where they lead. However, Diraimeir was sure was merely due to careful observation rather than memory.

Since the cave system hosted its fair share of pilgrims over the centuries, subtle etchings were carved near each exit. Each of them was unique and could be used to find one’s way if they were privy to how to read them like Tathlyn was. This alone kept them from wandering into dangerously deceptive parts of the Everdark. Sometimes, Diraimeir could hear odd noises coming from openings in the rock when they passed. Voices or howls, he couldn’t be too sure what they really were as they seemed to have echoed from far off corners of the nothing. Only the last little inkling of noise was able to reach them. Diraimeir found that fact positively frightening. Some of the louder sounds managed to put the mare into an uneasy uproar, and he fought to keep her calm. Ch’nuino’s panic showered them with specks of powdery rock. Only the soft humming of a familiar childhood folk tune from Diraimeir’s lips and a few gentle strokes down the bridge of her nose kept her from kicking the entire passage down.

Time was lost without the sun to mark a proper distinction between day and night. In truth, they had only been under the earth for a day and a half. That included the four hours of sleep the Fai had coaxed Diraimeir into for their first rest. To the Illitar, it felt like it lasted much longer than that. The lack of sun for even the likes of him threw him for a loop. He grew tired much faster but seemed not to hunger quite as much in return. Room to ride Ch’nuino simply did not exist either to allow Diraimeir to get off his feet. Tathlyn, much more seasoned for unconventional travel, resolved himself to carry Diraimeir when the Illitar could not will himself to continue. He piggybacked the nymph with practiced balance. When the roadway became a steep set of stairs and began to climb too sharply upward to be able to balance, he set the boy down. Wind from above rushed down the uneven stairwell as they climbed, making it difficult to travel. Halfway up, there was a decently sized landing which could make an agreeable reprieve.  The ceiling there was fairly low too.

              Signs of several camps, having been made the last couple of days, remained behind as the pair crossed into the cavern above, covered with many staircases built into its walls. A small filtered stream trickled down the rocks near and underneath the stairs, providing clean and cold water for them to drink. The soothing lull that would aid rest before it collected in a shallow pool and gravity carried it down a different corridor. They let Ch’nuino drink as much as she cared for as they settled down to slumber. Only a nap. With how frequent these paths were taken, it was not precisely what Diraimeir called safe. Even they could not resist stopping; this seemed the best place for it. Diraimeir had to wonder where these people came from. We haven’t seen a soul since entering the Everdark at all. Where are all the travelers Tathlyn was talking about? I mean, I only faintly heard other people when we passed other halls. It’s suspicious. We SHOULD have met someone. Who even knows what those voices were anyways?

Not fifteen minutes after the Illitar settled down near a small and hastily tossed together blaze, he was up again. Not because they were moving on, but from necessity born from fear. A single, deep voice boomed around them. Maybe in a warning. Maybe because Diraimeir had got into his own head and was now starting to hear things. Either way, it came from the adjacent path and grew ever closer. Strangely enough, the voice also sounded eerily familiar to Diraimeir and not at the same time. He must have heard it before somewhere. Maybe it was from memory or dream that he could not quite fully recall.

Tathlyn stepped in front of Diraimeir, wide awake. Without hesitation, he walked them back to square Diraimeir up against the uneven stone and his back. The Fai brought forth an ebony short sword that had been strapped to one of his hips, taking up a protective stance before the boy.

 “Who goes?” Tathlyn called out to the dark.

“Follow me…” The voice faded away completely in an unnerving echo. It was like who or whatever had been coming never existed. Or maybe Diraimeir was being mocked. That in itself was worrisome. Diraimeir met the Fai’s eyes as Tathlyn shook his head and carefully crept towards the opening to their left. It was the only direction the voice could have possibly come from, Diraimeir was sure of it. This way was lit from holes in the high rock, not unlike the one they had come up, so they should have easily been able to see anyone in it. When Tathlyn pulled back slowly, his face twisting into confusion. Diraimeir didn’t even have to guess why. He leaned out to take a look for himself. The corridor was completely empty.

The nymph was close behind him, though Diraimeir did not exercise quite the same amount of caution. He even ducked below Tathlyn’s arm to stumble into the path ultimately. Diraimeir broke into a run through it after he straightened himself out.

“For the love of… Dira! Come back here!” Tathlyn groaned. But the nymph could not hear him. There was a loud drumming in his ears, drowning out all other noise. His pace was quick and full of familiar accuracy. Diraimeir did not understand it himself, but he smiled excitedly. The kid went deeper, passing underneath another large waterfall with roaring rapids that bubbled and churned fiercely. It was forced through a narrow channel following the road, trickling with runoff, and over a flat yet chipping shoal that dipped into the crisp and calm still waters of an underground lake. Where he ended up, the cavern above was absolutely massive, though it hung low in several spots. It even touched the water a few times. Diraimeir stopped at the end of an old dock that had long since fallen prey to decay. His vision faded as he took one more look at the following Fai. Then, Diraimeir proceeded to step off the rickety woodwork.

Tathlyn could not respond fast enough or catch him; his body was moving too fast. “Come back here! Have you lost your damn mind? You are going to be the death of me!” He yelled. Diraimeir did not stop, though. Whatever called to him was too persistent for that. Diraimeir took a step forward, nearly plummeting into the bitter water. Though he did not. What actually happened when he was no longer on the dock stopped Tathlyn dead in his tracks. As soon as the Illitar’s foot found the surface of the water, it hardened with rapid abandon under his boot. Each step shot ice forward, where the next one was expected to fall. Tathlyn was left in awe. The sight of the nymph could have been mystifying had it not been for the fact that Diraimeir should not have been able to do such a feat this day and age. The magic of this dying world had been fading ever since Gya’a’s tragic death. As Diraimeir walked farther across the watery chasm, Tathlyn tried to scramble after him before the ice could melt away.

“Diraimeir! What’s gotten into you? We have to go back!” He called frantically. “Hey! Can’t you hear me?” Well, obviously not. Diraimeir didn’t even spare a glance back for the Fai, either. Neither did the now distant whinny of Ch’nuino who could not cross the thin path of nearly melted ice. He was far away, unable to register anything other than what was in front of him.

How had Diraimeir not have noticed it before? This light was beautiful, like a candle that was held up to a handful of spinning crystals. Glittering in a thousand directions and bright at the center of its source, Diraimeir shot his hand out for it, in a daze. And there was poor Tathlyn in a tizzy, trying desperately to get to him. Diraimeir had no way of knowing if the light was friend or foe. He could only assume the worst. He almost felt bad for the Fai. Chet was going to have Tathlyn’s hide if anything happened to him before they even crossed out of Cidraedell.

              Tathlyn was no match for the melt. His weight broke through the ice when he took his next step, and he went under. Even so, all the splashing in the realm could not break Diraimeir away from that light. The nymph’s small, frail fingers where mere inches away from the light. Just a little more…

Woosh! The light dissipated with a great, warm gust and left them in relative darkness. “Dira! Where are you?” Tathlyn called out, still splashing about like he was going to drown.

“Stand up. The water isn’t that deep.” Diraimeir replied with a hint of mirth in his voice. What a drama queen. Diraimeir waded towards the Fai. The lake was hardly waist-deep, even for him. “I am perfectly fine. Look… I found a blessing… A key.” He said as he turned away from Tathlyn for a moment. Within his hold was a pristine silver sword that glowed softly like a gem in the light. It was inscribed, but in a language that Diraimeir had never seen before. Its handle was made of gold with several large sapphires embedded in a row, arranged by size. The weapon was not as bright as before, mind you, but bright enough to illuminate about four feet around him.

The elf before Diraimeir froze for an awkward moment before he pushed himself upward to stand. If the cave had not been so dark at the moment, the faint color that rose in his cheeks would have been pretty apparent in his embarrassment. Yes, Diraimeir was quite sure Tathlyn knew he looked silly. He tried not to laugh at the man’s expense. “Oh… A blessing, hu? You shouldn’t even be touching that. It could be dangerous.”

“How could anything this warm and beautiful be dangerous? Besides. Don’t you think we need the light, or do you want to find the way out in the dark? What if the water deepens?” He teased.

“Er… Good point. But that thing needs to be put in a bag or something when we find the daylight again.”

“I think you are worrying too much.”

“And you worry too little. Come now. You left that mare behind, and she is pitching a fit. She would not cross over the dock. I can hear her from here.”

“I was perfectly fine. I knew I would be anyways. The light was calling to me, Tathlyn.” Diraimeir insisted. “It was destiny.”

“That voice was not the light. I don’t know what it was, but I don’t ever want to meet whatever it was.” Tathlyn corrected the boy, folding his arms across his chest.

“Yeah yeah. I suppose you are right, but I am keeping the sword.” He said back with a grin. “I could use the extra protection, don’t you think?”

They moved slowly back towards the old dock, where Diraimeir watched Ch’nuino stamp impatiently. She must be so sick of these blasted caves already. Diraimeir thought as he rubbed her neck reassuringly. “We will be out soon.” He cooed, snagging her reigns, and gently tugging her to follow. At least this stretch of halls was comfortably wide enough for the mare. He would have hated to leave her behind permanently.

Back up the pathway that was once lit, they nearly passed the makeshift camp of theirs, only stopping long enough to gather their belongings before continuing to climb steeply up the stairs. They found a tall corridor at its top where the ground evened out, lit by purposeful circular holes in the cavern ceiling every few hundred feet. It was almost like the one below, but the holes were much less deep.  Judging by the brightness of the sky poking through, it was earlier than noon. The scent of the sea came in on gusts of wind though it smelled different. Less icy and more pungent. Altogether, this part of the walk was rather pleasant. They were nearing one of the exits of the Everdark, bringing the travelers out close to the southern end of a small settlement called Shale. It was far warmer here. Maybe even up into the mid-forties or so. The air also lacked a chill accept for the faint breeze coming from the northeast off the Tempid sea.

 The cave became a chiseled hall with much more structure. Actual rooms and homes had been built into the rock at this end, and it was being used regularly. Signs of life were immediate. Chatter, wonderfully delicious smells, and now the appearance of deep green flowering moss clinging to the sides of the cave’s walls made Diraimeir smile.

 Visitors to this part of the tunnels were commonplace. Nobody really spared much more than a glance at the odd pair’s passing. At least not to their knowledge.

Eyes followed Diraimeir from the shadows, watching every subtle move the pair made. It’s not that they stuck out in any particular way, either. Though few, Illitar nymphs were native to this area. They were still in Cidraedell, after all. Diraimeir was not even the only one to be seen in the old market. That must have meant that someone knew already who the boy was to some degree. Neither Diraimeir nor the Fai noticed the stranger slip behind them, trailing along by a few feet as they stepped out of the mouth of the cave and into the open streets of the small border town.

The minimal time they spent within the village went by uneventfully, much to Diraimeirs liking. Only when the relative safety of Shale faded and gave way to its scattered farmlands dotting the edge of the Cidridian- Thorridian line did that change. Diraimeir found it strange. A woman appeared at Tathlyn’s side first, but he noticed her right away. Her speed for such an old creature was unimaginable, be it a bit creepy. The serpentine woman stopped in front of them to beg for help, calling herself Uatugy.

“Woe is me, pity this poor old soul. Uatugy had lost her poor husband, and the crops have yet to be harvested. Won’t you come and help Uatugy? Her hands are too brittle to pull the grain. She will starve. Yes! Starve!” She grasped on to the frayed hemming of Diraimeir’s coat. “Please! Please! She will reward you with a meal and warmth! Oh, yes, she will!”

Diraimeir and Tathlyn looked at each other. It was hard to turn down an older woman pleading for help. Even if that old woman felt… off. “What do you think?” The nymph asked the Fai in a hushed voice.

“I don’t think we can afford to stop right now.”

“We can’t just leave her like this. Look at her.”

“I am looking at her, Dira. She looks like she has never seen the sun. I don’t think it is all that great of an idea. But if you really think we must...”

“Then it’s decided. We are going to help her. Besides. We have not been able to rest in a while, and a nice meal might do us some good.” Diraimeir smiled faintly, letting the woman lead them to the nearest little farm.

              Tathlyn did not trust her in the slightest, Diraimeir could tell. Still, he was buddying up to her like she was his own grandmother. I don’t see the harm. How dangerous could a sweet old woman be? The road hence was short and narrow. Swaths of tall reddish-grey grains surrounded the farm. Diraimeir ran his gaze over the grounds, which consisted of a small farmhouse, a shoddily pieced together barn, and three nearly decrepit silos. Short poles of sun-bleached hardwood spaced a half a foot apart encircled the property. It separated the homestead from vast swatches of similar fields.  When he turned up the dusty little farm road, Diraimeir shuddered. The air around them was quiet.

              It looks like things were in working order not long ago. I wonder if she had more help than just her husband. Water near a well had been drawn a few times but never taken to wherever it needed to go. Crates of the new harvest had been laid in a row, waiting for someone to nail them shut and take them off to market. There were cattle out in a pasture in the back, but the brown, patchy grass had all been eaten up. She had to have other farmhands. Maybe they went to find the man. She’s been left to her own for way too long.

Unlike Diraimeir, all of these were warning signs to Tathlyn. He came closer to the boy. “This is too strange. I am going to figure out what was actually going on here. Be on your guard.” He warned. Diraimeir wouldn’t have known if things on a farm were out of place. He had never been on a working one in all of his life. Tathlyn stopped them as they neared the house, pulling Diraimeir away for the wretch of a woman. “When did you say you lost your husband?”